Photo Food Fight – Cheeseburger

by Chris Tecmire

They say a picture is worth 1000 words. I’m putting that statement to the test.

Photo Food Fights is a series designed to more effectively demonstrate how to make wise decisions when it comes to everyone’s favorite topic – food. Two or three food items will square off in a battle to the death to determine which is the best deal. Today’s battle…

Cheeseburger

Who doesn’t love a cheeseburger?! Most Americans are raised on beef and cheese. Why do you think McDonald’s alone had $27 BILLION in sales last year? But, actually the U.S. is only a small part of the McDonald’s empire these days. In fact, the U.S. accounted for only 32% of total sales, so the cheeseburger is truly global now.

We love cheeseburgers in a variety of settings, but most come fresh off your grill or out at your favorite restaurant. But, there’s one option that you may not have tried yet. What about Cheeseburger Soup?

Let me tell you…it’s fantastic. It really does taste like a cheeseburger – especially with a little diced tomato and pickle.

So, let’s see how they compare…Cheeseburger vs. Cheeseburger Soup. May the best cheese and beef concoction win.

How much Cheeseburger can you get for $4.00?

And the runaway winner is…Cheeseburger Soup!!

You can ALMOST buy a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese for $4.00. With tax, my purchase came to $4.44, so I had to take about 10% of the burger away.

On the other hand, you can make 6 bowls of soup, each filled with more than a cup of goodness, for $4.00. Give it a shot. If you like it, maybe you can make this simple substitution every now and then.

Here’s the recipe.

Cheeseburger Soup

Price Per Serving: $0.67

Serving Size: 1 cup

Recipe Yield: 6 servings (often a little more)

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups Water

3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes (or the substitute listed below)

16 oz. Potatoes (diced)

1/2 lb. Ground Beef

1 small Onion

1 Carrot (shredded)

1 tsp Dried Basil

1 tsp Dried Parsley

1/4 cup Margarine or Butter

1/4 cup Flour

1 1/2 cups Milk

8 oz. American Cheese

1/4 cup Ketchup

3/4 tsp Salt

dash Pepper

1/4 cup Sour Cream

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the water, cubes, and potatoes on medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, saute the beef, onions, carrot, basil, and parsley until the beef has been browned and the onions are soft. Add to the pot.

3. Bring the soup to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer for 15 minutes, until the taters are done.

4. Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the margarine on low heat. Mix in the flour and brown lightly.

5. Add the milk, cheese, ketchup, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir until the cheese is melted. Add to the pot.

6. Blend well. Then, remove from the heat and mix in the sour cream right before serving.

7. Enjoy!

By the way, this soup is great with normal soup sides like bread and crackers, but if you’re having cheeseburger soup, why not serve it with some french fries instead? Make your own or grab some in the freezer section of your market.

* If you’d rather not use bouillon cubes, try this simple substitution: For 3 cubes, substitute 3/4 tsp onion powder, 3/4 tsp garlic powder, and 1 1/8 tsp salt. It’s even cheaper than using cubes and, though it doesn’t have quite the punch that the bouillon cubes have, it’s an excellent substitution that Trisha and I use all the time.

Obviously, you could also use 3 cups of chicken stock instead, but, unless you make your own, it will cost you more.

This frugal recipe, along with 150 other delicious and inexpensive recipes, can be found in Eating Well For Only $2 A Day! You can read more about it on the “The Book” page on this blog, or follow the link provided to purchase it on our secure site. Don’t forget that email subscribers receive a 20% coupon that can be used as many times as you’d like.

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